Pickup trucks, trailers and other moving aids are often called upon for service when moving large, heavy objects. However, there are many times when large and bulky, but relatively lightweight, objects such as tables, chairs, lumber, boxes and even Christmas trees require transportation. Since such objects will not fit inside a typical motor vehicle, many people resort to transporting these items on the roofs of their cars. Since most cars do not come equipped with luggage racks, people may place towels, carpeting, cardboard or other materials to protect the finish of the vehicle roof. It is often observed that such materials slide about when the object is being loaded, which may allow the roof to buckle at the high point in the case of curved roofs and present a danger should the object and protector slide about during transport.
Several attempts have been made in the past to design an apparatus to prevent cargo on automobile roof racks from shifting during transport. U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,291 in the name of Chasan discloses a support pad assembly for carrying articles on a vehicle roof with first and second elongate members each having an upper pad member of cushioning material. A first side bolster is hinged to one side edge of the upper member and a second side bolster is hinged to the opposite side edge of the upper member. Each side bolster has a core of cushioning material and extends along the entire length of the elongate member. The side bolsters are of a rectangular cross-section and have opposing inner faces carrying inter-engageable fasteners for releasably securing the side bolsters together beneath the upper pad member. The two (2) elongate members are secured on spaced crossbars of a vehicle roof rack by placing the upper pad member on top of a roof rack crossbar and engaging the side bolsters beneath the crossbar. At least one (1) tie down strap is secured to one (1) end of each elongate member for securing an elongate item on top of the upper pad member. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed to be easily installed or removed from a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,093 in the name of Geier discloses a carrier device for supporting and securing different objects to a luggage rack of a vehicle or directly to the roof of a vehicle which does not have a luggage rack. The device includes a carrier fabric on which one (1) side is covered along its length with loops and one half (½) with barbs. The fabric is formed with cushioned straps on one half opposite either the hooks or barbs. The fabric may be placed onto a luggage rack bar across the width of a vehicle, and skis, fishing poles or the like can be secured by the straps to the support carrier. Alternatively, the carrier device may be secured directly to a vehicle roof which does not have a luggage rack. To this end, the carrier device is wrapped around a filler member and end straps with hooks thereon are provided and designed to connect to a vehicle gutter or other part of the vehicle body such as the lip of the roof. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed to be compatible with vehicles with a preexisting luggage rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,889 in the name of Sumino describes an automobile roof carrier mainly composed of a magnetic base portion, a gripping portion for removal, a covering member and a loading article holding portion. The covering member is integrally jointed over the magnetic base portion while the magnetic base portion is covered by the covering member except in the attractive surface of the magnetic base portion and the gripping portion for removal. Combined integrally in the upper part of the covering member is a loading article holding portion which is able to be opened and closed. A supplementary cover which is able to be opened and closed is attached to the covering member so that the gripping portion for removal may be hidden and exposed. There is provided a first locking mechanism for maintaining the closed state of the supplementary cover, whereas there is provided a second locking mechanism for maintaining the closed state of the loading article holding portion. A common key for releasing the locked states of these locking mechanisms is provided. The automobile roof carrier of the invention further includes means for preventing the degradation of appearance, increment of air flow resistance at driving, and the reduction of contacting area with the roof and the like. Unfortunately, this prior art example provides for a permanent fixture to an automobile roof, and is therefore not designed to be easily installed and removed.
None of the prior art particularly describes a novel system to prevent cargo on automobile roof racks from shifting during transport and, more particularly, to the system providing a means for a foam block being covered with a fabric envelope removably attachable to a conventional vehicle rooftop to protect cargo and to protect the vehicle's roof. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which large, bulky, but lightweight objects can be safely transported on the roof of a motor vehicle without damaging the roof or causing other problems as listed above. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.